


Candy-Coated Kisses

by FenyxNyteRyder



Category: 2P Hetalia - Fandom, Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: AmeCan Halloween Exchange, Black Velvet Burgers - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Peaches & Cream, divorce mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-07 19:40:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6821485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FenyxNyteRyder/pseuds/FenyxNyteRyder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being tricked into spending Halloween together, Alfred and James take their kids trick or treating and end up getting caught stealing candy later into the night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Candy-Coated Kisses

**Author's Note:**

> For @stormy-bun for the 2015 AmeCan Halloween Exchange on Tumblr. Reposting here.
> 
> Characters: Alfred (America), Matthew (Canada), Thomas/Tommy (2p!America), James (2p!Canada)

Halloween. The first things that popped into Alfred’s head when he heard that word were the costumes and the candy (not to mention all of the horror-themed decorations that he had an ungodly amount of to be able to decorate his house up every year with). Naturally, many “sensible” people would think that it would be odd for a grown man to have such an intense obsession with the holiday. Alfred just thought they were sticks-in-the-mud and needed to cut loose sometimes to relax. He, on the other hand, found it normal, tapping into that childish portion of himself and reliving some rather fond memories of his life. What was even better about the past eleven Halloweens, though, was that he was able to pass on all of his traditions on to his son, Thomas (or Tommy, as the young boy preferred to be called). It only made everything seem so much better. As if everything was right. Of course, not everything was, especially when things were still strained from a rather nasty divorce with his, now, ex-wife. It wasn’t perfect, but it was working, and that was all that Alfred could ask for.

Ruffling Tommy’s light brown hair as they stood in the bathroom, Alfred helped check over his son’s costume, the brunette having insisted on dressing up as Prince Zuko from Avatar the Last Airbender. Not that Alfred minded, of course. He wanted his son to dress up as whatever he wanted. There was just a slight twinge of disappointment in his chest that the boy didn’t seem to share his father’s interest and fascination with superheroes. That didn’t mean that tonight wasn’t bound to be a fun night of running around the neighborhood and collecting as much candy as they could carry. Then they would come back to the house afterwards and pig out on pizza and candied apples and watch movies until Tommy ended up passing out with his head on Alfred’s lap and curled up under a blanket. A wave of affectionate warmth bubbled in his chest at the thought of spending quality time with his son, lips spread in a wide smile.

It wasn’t until Alfred heard the doorbell ringing, tilting his head in confusion as a sly grin spread onto Tommy’s lips as the eleven year old charged past him and out of the bathroom to go answer it, that he snapped out of his thoughts. Okay, something was definitely going on. He swore that his son better not have ordered anything else from those Halloween infomercials or he was going to lose it. The American could only take so many fake props dropping down on him in the middle of the night, each more realistic than the last, before he ended up having a heart attack.

Sighing, he ran a hand through blonde cow-licked hair, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose and checking his own Captain America outfit in the mirror (what can he say? He loved the Captain) before heading off downstairs to meet whatever possible disaster awaited him that was his son’s doing. What met his sight when he reached the bottom of the stairs, however, was definitely not what he had expected. Or rather who.

Standing in the doorway and talking avidly with Tommy about some sort of cartoon (Alfred could only guess that it was Avatar, based on the other child’s costume) was a young child probably around the same age as Thomas with bright violet eyes and chin-length wavy blonde hair, dressed in some sort of bright orange outfit with a staff (who exactly he was supposed to be was beyond Alfred’s comprehension). He found that it oddly complemented Tommy’s dark red outfit and pretend sword.

However, the person that truly caught his attention was the man leaning against the doorframe, watching the talking children and holding several boxes of pizza in his arms. He was probably the tallest (and definitely most handsome) man that Alfred had ever met, standing well over six feet tall. Strawberry blonde hair hung just below broad, muscular shoulders to which a Winter Soldier costume (the irony of the situation, huh?) clung snugly to his skin. Full lips were pulled back into a lazy half smile. Long eyelashes framed dark violet eyes that glimmered with mirth as they focused solely on the children. However, a slow blink later and those fascinating orbs were focused on the blonde American and it felt like he forgot how to breathe, left speechless under the taller adult’s gaze.

The two stared at each other in silence, a light blush spreading across both of their cheeks before their attention was redirected by Thomas when the boy spoke. “So Dad, you know that friend that I’ve been telling you about for months and months? Well, this is angelcakes,” Tommy stated, gesturing to the blonde boy and draping an arm over the other’s shoulders, which resulted in a soft blush forming across the blonde’s cheeks and an eyeroll. “I invited him and his pops over for Halloween since they’re kinda new in town and all, and need people to show ‘em the ropes.”

“Stop calling me that. I told you, my name’s Matthew…” he muttered with a small huff, letting out a squeak of protest as Tommy suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the stairs.

Calling back over his shoulder, the brunette smirked at Alfred. “Anyways, angelcakes and I are gonna go finish our costumes. Have fun with the hot dad, Dad,” Tommy snickered, receiving another string of quiet protests from Matthew as the blonde was pulled haphazardly up the stairs and to the bathroom, the door slamming shut behind the pair of children.

The uncomfortable silence that fell between the two flustered adults was finally broken by Alfred groaning and burying his face in his hands. That little shit… He planned this whole thing. He had to have. It would explain the matching themed costumes in the very least. At the sound of a throat being cleared, Alfred turned around to face the “hot dad” as Tommy had phrased it, an apologetic and sheepish smile present on his face.

“I am…so sorry for anything my son has said or done to try to get you to come over here. Though I mean, you’re here now, so whatever it was that he said obviously worked… Not that I condone that kind of behaviour, but umm…” He broke off, raising an eyebrow as he realized that the other adult was…laughing? Well, okay, more like chuckling, but still, it sent the heat rushing to his face. “I’m Alfred, by the way… Alfred F. Jones.”

“It’s fine, Alfred. Your son’s actually been a really big help for Matthew, helping him get adjusted to the new school. It was a pretty big move since we came down from Canada just a couple of months ago, and having a friend like Thomas that he can talk to has been a…large burden off my shoulders, so in a way I should be thanking you two. Though I did find a few of your son’s requests quite odd…especially since he’s been so persistent about it since the beginning of the school year…” he murmured, raising an eyebrow before extending his free hand. “James Williams. And are you going to invite me in? Or are we going to let the pizzas go cold?” he added with a smirk that sent Alfred’s pulse racing.

Clearing his throat, the American simply nodded and placed his hand in the other’s, their hands locked together in a firm grip that seemed to linger for almost too long before Alfred stepped back, gesturing for the Canadian male to enter the house. Swallowing thickly as Alfred watched James head off to the kitchen with the boxes of pizza, it took the American a few moments to compose himself and rid his cheeks of the heavy blush that permeated them before finally joining the Canadian. He was in way over his head with this one.

XxXxXxX

Silence had fallen between the two adults as they walked along the sidewalks, trailing behind the excited eleven year olds, much different to the tenseness that had arisen between the pair after finding out that Thomas had taken it upon himself to dye a blue stripe through the center of Matthew’s hair to resemble the airbender tattoos, the blue arrows on the blonde child’s hands and forehead having been painted on. Needless to say, it was much to Alfred’s and James’s relief that the dye was only temporary (somehow Tommy had made it himself using Kool-Aid powder) and it would probably come out by the end of night, if not the next morning, which was definitely in Alfred’s favor because he didn’t think that he would be able to survive the silent fury that James had directed ever-so-briefly in Thomas’s direction upon the discovery.

Still, the silence between them was beginning to grate on Alfred’s nerves as he continued to steal glances over at the tall Canadian male, unable to help but to admire the way that his costume fit on him. And really, it was completely inappropriate for him to be thinking about how attractive that James looked, especially when he had a kid and more than likely a wife whom he lived happily with. There was no reason for him to be so desperately attached to some random guy that happened to look hot as hell in a Winter Soldier outfit. Yet still, here he was…

“Are you going to keep staring at me like that, or are you going to finally work up the nerve to say something to my face?” James murmured suddenly, startling the American out of his thoughts, a dark flush across his cheeks when he realized that he had indeed been staring for far longer than he meant. Resulting in getting caught by those deep violet eyes. Damn…

“Um… Well I, uh… She must be really lucky. Your wife, I mean. Having a son and husband like Matthew and you. So what did you all move down here for?” Alfred asked, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, a wide grin on his face despite the ever-present blush on his cheeks.

James blinked, raising an eyebrow at the American, lips pressed into a thin line. He was silent for a few moments, and Alfred almost thought that he wasn’t going to answer until they ended up stopping in front of one of the houses while Tommy and Matthew went up to the front door to get candy. The Canadian’s answer made his heart sink slightly.

“I wish she knew that. She never got a chance to meet Matthew,” he murmured with a shrug, and Alfred could only infer what James meant. The American impulsively reached over and gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze to which he gave Alfred a small grateful smile. “Matthew and I moved here since I ended up getting transferred because of my job. I, uh, work as an aerospace engineer, astronautical division,” James mumbled, rubbing the back of his head with a small cough.

Alfred’s eyes widened a bit, flashing James a wide smile. “Dude, that’s awesome! I’m an astrophysicist, so I totally get it.” Blinking as a sudden thought struck him, he tilted his head to the side, raising an eyebrow. “Wait, dude, don’t tell me that you’re the new transfer at United Launch Alliance?”

James gave Alfred a sheepish smile that was almost, almost, on the verge of a smirk. That could’ve just been Alfred’s imagination though. “Actually, yeah. You work for them too, hm? Or at least, that’s what Thomas had said… I’m surprised that we haven’t run into each other yet. Funny how these things tend to work out, eh?”

“Yeah… Funny…” the American barely had time to murmur out before they were moving again, trailing after their children to move onto the next house. This time, however, as they moved along, there was a much more peaceful and less strained silence between them, punctuated by the occasional teasing comment from either male, the violet-eyed Canadian seeming to take more interest in talking with Alfred as time passed.

It was nice, Alfred decided, having someone to talk to like this. Part of him ached emotionally, missing the comfort of having someone close, memories resurfacing of his ex-wife and how she had become so distant before finally deciding to break ties with him and Thomas. Needless to say, it was a painful transition, especially when he had to tell his son that his mother wasn’t going to come back. It was then that he had decided that he wouldn’t risk becoming attached to anyone else, focusing solely on his work and taking care of Thomas. However now, watching Tommy and Matthew laughing and running around from house to house, watching the adoration in James’s tired lavender gaze as the Canadian kept a careful eye on the children, Alfred couldn’t help but to feel some sort of hope that perhaps the two Canadians were precisely what was missing in their lives. As James glanced over at him and sent him a small grin, he couldn’t stop the small fluttering in his chest or the wide smile that pulled at his own lips in response. God, he desperately hoped that they were.

XxXxXxX

It was well past eleven o’clock by the time that the four of them returned to the Americans’ house, tired, legs sore, yet feeling utterly successful. Matthew and Thomas hardly bothered to stay with the adults downstairs before grabbing up a couple of slices of pizza and sodas each and rushing off upstairs to Thomas’s room. That left Alfred and James to sit on the couch together and eat peacefully in the living room, the credits of The Nightmare Before Christmas rolling across the television screen an hour later as they continued to talk.

“So she really just decided to cut all ties with you two?” James murmured, tilting his head with a frown as he reclined against the cushions, elbow propped up against the arm of the couch. His eyelids drooped lowly, lashes brushing against his cheeks. One hand came up to stifle a yawn that threatened to slip from his lips.

Alfred shrugged. A soft chuckle, albeit halfhearted, fell from his lips as he sipped at his soda. “Yeah, she moved on and hooked up with some other guy, marrying him almost immediately after our divorce. It hurt for quite a while after it happened, though I mean, what’s done is done. Things had been going south in our relationship anyways, so I guess…it was bound to happen sooner or later. I’m just glad that she didn’t try to take Thomas with her. Sometimes it feels like he’s the only thing keeping me sane at times, y’know? Even if he can be a pain in the ass to deal with, but hey, that’s kids for ya.”

“She doesn’t deserve to be with you anyways…” came the soft reply which was almost too quiet for Alfred to be able to make out. Almost. Bright blue eyes glanced over at the tired Canadian who was pulling out his phone to check the time. It was nearly one in the morning. “I’d really hate to do this, but I should probably take Matthew and be heading home before it gets much later, since we live on the opposite side of town and all,” James murmured, the corners of his lips twitching into an apologetic smile as he stood and stretched.

Alfred’s chest ached at the thought of him leaving so soon, when they were just starting to really get to know each other. “Are you sure, dude? You don’t look like you’ll be able to make it with how tired you are.” A pause. “How about you two just spend the night here? Pretty sure the kids are already passed out in Tommy’s room, anyways. There’s no need to go in there and wake them. I need to repay you somehow for my son coercing you guys into coming over. With pizza, no less.”

Blinking in surprise at the offer, James rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the television screen as he seemed to contemplate what Alfred had said. Eventually, the Canadian sighed, shoulders slumping slightly as he gave a small nod, conceding defeat. Alfred was right, after all. There was no sense in trying to drive home so late when he was already so tired, possibly endangering both his and his son’s lives in the process. A light blush spread across his cheeks at the thought of Alfred being concerned about his safety, before shaking his head and pushing the thought away.

“Alright. Deal,” James murmured, pausing for a moment before heading off into the kitchen where the children’s two abandoned bags of candy from their excursion that night. Glancing around as he chewed lightly on his bottom lip, the Canadian quietly went over to the bags, rustling around in them for a few moments before returning to the living room with two rather large handfuls of sweet treats that he dumped onto the table. “We might as well enjoy ourselves then, eh?” The violet-eyed male smirked softly, sitting back down on the couch and grabbing one of the pieces of chocolate that he immediately unwrapped and popped into his mouth. His sweet tooth was going to be the death of him one day.

A wide grin appeared on Alfred’s face, nudging James’s knee with his own. “Dude, you better be sharing,” he said with a laugh, grabbing his own piece of chocolate without any further prompting.

James snorted softly, shaking his head, his expression unreadable apart from the light blush that seemed to be ever-present on his cheeks while they ate in moderate silence, mouths too full of chocolate and different candy to really be capable of speaking, their knees brushing against each other’s from time to time. It was definitely nice. However, after a while, Alfred began to notice that James had been doing less eating and more…staring at him.

Raising an eyebrow, Alfred swallowed his next mouthful of chocolate, licking the melted substance from his fingers. “What?”

Before the American could process what was happening, the distance between them had vanished, soft lips pressing against the corner of his mouth, something wet swiping at his cheek to clear it of a stray chocolate smudge. Drawing back with a dark blush, James cleared his throat, looking away as he nibbled on his own piece of chocolate. “You had something on your face,” was the response. “Sorry.”

“Oh.” Reaching up, Alfred’s fingers traced the lingering sensation of the other’s lips against his skin. Despite the blush heavy on his face, the American managed a smirk, one hand reaching out to grab the back of James’s neck and pull him forward, smashing their lips together. A startled noise slipped from the taller male’s lips, tensing at first before melting into the kiss. The tips of his ears were crimson by the time that they broke apart. “You know, if you wanted to kiss me, you just had to ask,” Alfred chuckled with a wink.

Rolling his eyes, James merely snorted, shoulders shaking in silent laughter at the incredulity of the situation before he grabbed the front of the blonde’s shirt and pulled him into another kiss, this one far more coordinated than the prior ones.

Unbeknownst to the two adults, they were not alone. Thomas and Matthew had slipped from the brunette’s bedroom, sneaking silently down the stairs to lay down on the landing that overlooked the living room. The hazel-eyed child leaned against the blonde, resting his head tiredly against the other’s shoulder. Matthew, in turn, leaned his head on top of Tommy’s, letting out a small sigh as they watched their fathers kiss.

A small smirk formed on Thomas’s face as he whispered, "See? I told you, angelcakes. They’re perfect for each other.” This was perfect. He’d known from the moment that he had set eyes on James when the Canadian had picked up Matthew from school one day that the guy was his dad’s type. It all just took a lot of persuading and planning (and begging) for him to actually get James to agree to come over to be able to meet his dad. Even then, he wouldn’t have been able to succeed if Matthew hadn’t helped him.

Humming softly and shifting closer to Thomas, Matthew nodded, propping his elbows on the floor and resting his chin in his palms, too tired to truly care that Thomas had called him that annoying (yet endearing) nickname. “Yeah. You sure were right, eh?” the Canadian boy mumbled, lips twitching into a smile as his eyelids drooped. Watching his father kiss Tommy’s dad, Matthew glanced over at Thomas. “So…does this mean we’ll get to be brothers now?”

Wide hazel eyes met violet. The American boy’s eyebrows knit together in thought. That was the whole reason why they had tried to set up Alfred and James to get together in the first place. It was lonely, after all. They both knew what it was like, not being able to have a whole family. Thomas knew his mother, and he hated her for leaving, breaking his trust. Matthew never even had a chance to know his. They both had fathers that were always trying to do their best to take care of them. Yet still, something was missing. There was still that ache of loneliness that both of them knew all too well. Now, though… Now there was a chance that their families could be whole again.

Tears welled up in the corners of Tommy’s eyes, lips spread in a gap-toothed smile as he wrapped his arms around Matthew, holding him close. A soft noise of surprise came from the Canadian due to the unexpected hug, but Matthew quickly smiled and returned the hug, wiping the tears from the other’s eyes. “Yeah, we can be brothers now, Mattie,” Thomas whispered, nuzzling into the blonde’s shoulders, his smile never fading.

It wasn’t until something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention that he pulled back from the hug, squinting down into the darkened living room. There was an unrecognizable pile of…something on the table just beyond where their fathers were kissing. Realization finally hit. “Hey! They stole our candy!” Thomas exclaimed far too loudly, causing the two adults below to startle and jump away from each other, Matthew groaning softly.

“Stupid hoser…” Matthew muttered, rubbing his temples, though he couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at his lips as their fathers came over and started scolding them for being up so late still. It was worth it though, seeing the stress and loneliness becoming absent from James and Alfred’s stances and gazes. To see it being replaced with rekindled emotions that hadn’t been felt in years and the first hints of love blossoming between the two… Thomas may have been a stupid hoser, but he was still Matthew’s stupid hoser. His new brother, even if it wasn’t official just yet.

The void that they all felt was finally filling. Alfred and James could see the change in their sons. They could feel that emptiness leaving themselves. Things may not have been perfect before, but they definitely felt that way now. Their lives were changing for the better, and it was all thanks to a special Halloween night and a few candy-coated kisses.


End file.
